War On Iraq Nearly 10 Times The Waste

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The omnibus budget bill passed by Congress and signed by Bush funds most of the federal government for this entire fiscal year, which actually began more than two months ago. The original bill was estimated at $516 billion but expected to balloon to $560 billion as more money will to be added for Iraq and Afghanistan. It contains more than 9000 domestic earmarks, a phenomenal exercise in tax dollar allocation, but still woefully shortchanges domestic interests.

Some organizations have actually slammed the earmarks, and had they been omitted, the $516 billion Omnibus would have dropped way down to $508 billion, a difference of less than one-half of one percent.

Budget Contains 9,000 earmarks:
Taxpayers for Common Sense estimates that the 8,983 special earmarks will cost taxpayers more than $7.4 billion, though additional costs will become apparent in coming months.

Bush, who has repeatedly used his veto power to kick sand in the face of the majority will in Congress, signed the measure, which includes a $70 billion down payment towards a whopping $196 billion executive earmark requested for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly 10 times the amount Congress is accused of wasting in America.

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MSM Defending Bush/Cheney

Excerpt: The current right-tilted asymmetry of the American news media has made it difficult if not impossible to achieve any sustained accountability for any of the Bush-Cheney offenses.

I remember a time when newspapers led the charge against government corruption, deception and irresponsibility - now, they defend it.